


A Snow Globe for Monsters

by justadreamfox



Series: Andrew Goes to Hogwarts [2]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Gift Fic, Happy birthday Sam!, M/M, and we're gonna give 'em to him, andrew deserves nice things, background relationships and foxes, birthday fic, theo nott is a menace and a really good dad, twinyards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 07:20:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26349229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justadreamfox/pseuds/justadreamfox
Summary: The twins are sixteen, and life at Hogwarts is good - except Aaron isn't talking to Andrew, and Andrew doesn't know why, and now Theo has been called in as reinforcement, which doesn't bode well for anyone.Don't worry though, we're still all just happy little fluff gremlins here: there will be kisses and snowflakes and happy endings all 'round.
Relationships: Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard, Katelyn/Aaron Minyard, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Theodore Nott/Harry Potter, twinyards & harry potter & theo nott
Series: Andrew Goes to Hogwarts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1914961
Comments: 11
Kudos: 145





	A Snow Globe for Monsters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nerdzeword](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdzeword/gifts).



> Happiest of birthdays to my dude, my fam, my friend [nerdzeword](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdzeword/) !! 
> 
> Listen. In this house we ship - nay, we stan - NottPott. So. Roll with it.
> 
> Also, the Yule ball is tied to the Triwizard Tournament which is permanently cancelled because Cedric, but like, let's just assume they brought it back as a yearly dance because why not?
> 
> As usual, I humbly beg forgiveness from the Harry Potter fandom - I know not what I do.
> 
> So, without further ado: HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM!

Andrew’s first year at Hogwarts had been a whirlwind - he gained friends, family, a home, and a cat in the span of a single day - not to mention the _magic._

In that first year, while three Hufflepuffs, two Slytherins, and a Ravenclaw were fast becoming best friends, Tilda Minyard was alone in her house for the first time in eleven years. One fateful day, the woman who had given up one son and abused the other overdosed on Euphoria Elixir and died. Andrew officially and suddenly became an honest-to-goodness orphan, never having met the mother who abandoned him. Andrew had buried down his own apathy, and he and Neil had put their arms around Aaron and held him while he cried. 

At Nicky’s insistence, Aaron and Andrew went to the Hemmick’s that Christmas break, which had not gone well at all - no surprise there, really. Andrew learned what a mudblood was on Christmas Eve, and after two days in that horrid household Aaron had called Neil. Stuart Hatford - his fierce auburn-haired son in tow - had shown up on the doorstep to rescue them. The twins never went back to the Hemmick house again. 

More magical than any magic to Andrew though, was what happened at the end of their first year: Harry Potter, and his husband Theo Nott, brought the twins home with them for the summer, and by the beginning of Andrew’s second year, Harry and Theo had filed the papers to adopt them. 

Andrew’s second year at Hogwarts saw him making the Hufflepuff quidditch team. He took his spot as a formidable keeper and Jeremy soared as seeker, their new positions securing their place as two of the most popular kids in Hufflepuff - which Andrew still had a time getting a handle on. With popularity came unwanted attention, and there had been initial side-eye thrown their way when the other students started paying attention to their group - affectionately nicknamed the Monsters by Headmaster Wymack. 

According to Jeremy and Neil - who, between the two of them, knew _everything_ \- friendships tended to stick to their own at Hogwarts: Hufflepuffs with Hufflepuffs, Slytherin with Slytherin, and so on (which Andrew thought was stupid). Instead, the Monsters eschewed arbitrary House lines drawn in the sand, and by their third year their group had grown a bit to include Jean and Katelyn from Ravenclaw, and occasionally Matt and Dan - the golden Gryffindor power couple. Harry said they’d started something big, which Andrew scoffed at - he hadn’t meant to start anything at all, but nothing was going to keep him from spending time with his Ravenclaw brother and well, with Neil. 

All of which was ironic, because now, well into the start of their fifth year at Hogwarts together, Aaron wasn’t speaking to him. At all. Which had divided the Monsters in two, and which was why currently the two Potter-Nott twins were sat shoulder to shoulder in Harry Potter’s office, and why Theo had been called in as backup. 

Andrew scrunched down in the chair across from his dads, arms crossed and hands folded into the arms of his robes. Aaron was hunched in his own chair next to him, purposefully and pointedly ignoring him. Andrew had the fleeting thought that he wished King was here, curled up in his lap, and then he felt stupid for wanting a security blanket - he was _sixteen,_ he didn’t _need_ his cat. Harry was leaning back in his chair, an unusual frown on his face, and Theo had a hip resting against the edge of the desk, his arms crossed and his face impassive. 

“You know,” Theo mused, “one would think that since my husband works at the school that my sons attend, my presence wouldn’t be necessary when said sons start causing problems.”

“We’re not causing problems!” Aaron sputtered, and Andrew nodded his agreement before immediately regretting the action: he wasn’t talking to Aaron - did nods of agreement count as talking? Whatever. 

“Oh?” Harry asked, leaning forward and resting his chin in his hands. “Because as far as I can tell, there have been at least three different fights started on your behalf, and if I had to guess, I’d say there’s a couple more that I don’t know about - all because for some unknowable reason, you two have decided you don’t like each other anymore.”

Andrew stiffened at that. He couldn’t let that stand. “That’s not true,” he said. Because of course he liked Aaron. Well, of course he _loved_ Aaron - right now he didn’t actually like him very much, so fine.

“Ah, sure okay, because I often refuse to talk to people I still like for a whole month just for kicks,” Theo said sarcastically. 

“Theo,” Harry sighed. 

“What?” Theo shrugged.

Harry rolled his eyes and turned his gaze back to Andrew and Aaron. “Listen. I’m really proud of both of you - you’ve broken down the lines between houses in a way I’ve never seen before, and for the most part the example you’ve set with your Monsters has affected everyone - Headmaster Wymack and I think it’s a wonderfully positive development for Hogwarts as a whole. Everyone looks up to you two. Unfortunately the problem with having that much power is that a certain amount of responsibility comes along with it.” 

“What does that even mean?” Aaron muttered. 

Theo raised an eyebrow at him. “It means - oh son of mine - that you have to choose to use your power for good. And apparently you are not currently using it for good.”

“But we didn’t do anything!” Aaron protested. 

Harry raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t talking to each other, and it has caused a divide in your own group and thus a divide in the whole school. I had to separate Robin Cross and that first year Jack Eidleman - they were fighting over you two and Robin was wearing a ‘Team Andrew’ button.”

Theo laughed. “Was she really!? You didn’t tell me that. Wait, Harry, it’s kind of like that time - remember the Potter Stinks buttons?”

“Really Theo? _Really?_ We’re parenting here.”

Aaron had perked up at that. “Wait, what were the Potter Stinks buttons?”

Harry pointed at Theo warningly. “No.”

Theo winked at them and mouthed, “Later.” 

Andrew tried not to smirk. His dads were definitely unusual - quite unlike any of the parents that had fostered him before the famous Harry Potter had arrived on his doorstep and changed his world. Harry loved kids, but Andrew knew Theo had never really wanted children. Yet Theo had been right there beside Harry when they’d asked the twins if they could adopt them. Andrew didn’t know why they’d been the exception, and it took him a long time to believe it was real: Theo Nott didn’t choose to have kids, but he had chosen Andrew and Aaron. It was the opposite of being thrown away. To Andrew, Theo hung the moon - and he was also irreverently, hilariously, and simultaneously the best _and_ worst parent ever.

Harry cleared his throat, pulling Andrew’s attention back to him. “Yes, and in other news of things we ARE going to talk about, what is going on with you two?” Harry turned his serious face on them and Andrew tried not to squirm. If Andrew thought that Theo hung the moon, then Harry hung the stars - and Harry’s serious look was a little too close to his disappointed face. Andrew didn’t want to disappoint him, and truth be told, he didn’t want to _not_ be speaking to Aaron either.

Theo put his serious face on too, which meant they really weren’t going to get out of this one without talking. “Look boys, we wanted to let you sort it out on your own. But it has been a month. And you know, this is interrupting my very busy and important work day. So. Spill.”

Andrew looked at Aaron but his twin was resolutely not looking back at him, and did not seem inclined to speak. Which meant Aaron really was mad - normally Aaron would handle anything that might require copious amounts of talking because he knew that Andrew ran out of words. Normally, Aaron cared. 

Andrew took a breath. Let it out. Took another. “Aaron is mad at me because I asked Neil to be my date to the Yule ball,” Andrew said, following it up with a shrug and an, “I think,” hoping that was enough explanation.

Andrew frowned as he watched two sets of eyebrows raise into hairlines. Harry and Theo exchanged a look, managed to get their eyebrows back in place, and when Aaron didn’t add anything to Andrew’s statement Harry said, “Okay. Is that because - hm. Aaron is that because you wanted Neil to be your date?” 

“What? No!” Aaron said. 

“Aaron is straight and he likes Katelyn,” Andrew piped up helpfully.

“Andrew you can’t just out people as straight,” Aaron protested, finally looking at Andrew. 

“I did not out you, people are generally assumed to be straight until proven otherwise,” Andrew retorted. 

“But that’s dumb, we’ve talked about this,” Aaron said, frustrated. Andrew agreed with him, it _was_ dumb, and they _had_ talked about it - they’d talked about it when Andrew had come out to Aaron two years ago - but they weren’t talking to each other right now, except they just did. So. 

“Boys,” Theo cut in. “As much as I - well I agree with everything you just said, and yes, Andrew, maybe it isn’t your job to out your brother, even as straight, and while I am happy you’ve appeared to startle yourselves into talking to each other, we’ve gotten a bit off topic. Andrew, why exactly is Aaron mad that you asked Neil to the dance - AND, on that note, Aaron, how are you even surprised? I mean, Harry and I had already assumed Andrew and Neil were going together and it’s pretty obvious-” 

“Theo,” Harry cut him off. 

“Oh right. So? Why are we mad?” Theo asked, folding his hands in mock order in his lap and raising one elegant eyebrow.

“I don’t know,” Andrew said quietly, because he didn’t, but he hadn’t meant for it to come out quite so hurt sounding - he barely managed to not wince at himself. 

Aaron turned to him, the look on his face incredulous. “You don’t know? How do you not know Andrew?”

Andrew stared back at him, and he didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say. He’d just said he didn’t know. He wasn’t a liar. Aaron knew that. He shrugged. 

“Lovely,” Harry announced, pushing his chair back and standing up. “Well, we’re going to go for some tea and maybe a nice stroll around the grounds. You two are going to stay here and sort this out, and you are absolutely not to leave this room until you do. We’ll be back to check on you in an hour. Understood?”

Aaron nodded sullenly and Andrew sank a bit lower in his chair. Their dads made their way to the door, but Theo stopped and turned back to them. His face was softer than it usually was, just for a moment. “You don’t have to tell us what’s going on. But you do need to tell each other,” Theo said, and with that they were gone and Andrew and Aaron were alone in Harry’s office. 

They sat there in silence, wasting the first ten minutes of their hour. Finally Andrew huffed and stood up, hopped on his dad’s desk and crossed his legs, so that now he was facing his twin. They had never really fought before now, and this fight had become so big, so epic, and Andrew didn’t even know what it was about. He took a stab in the dark, because they had to start somewhere, and the only place he knew where to start was with his most secret fear as to what this was really about. 

“Are you mad because I am gay?” Andrew asked him. 

Aaron jerked his gaze up at that, and his look was raw and startled and it settled something in Andrew before Aaron even started shaking his head in denial. “Don’t be ridiculous. We literally have two gay dads.

“Harry’s bi,” Andrew countered. 

Aaron flapped a hand at him. “Semantics. You don’t really think I care about that do you?”

“Not really,” Andrew said. 

Aaron snorted. “You are such an arse sometimes.”

“Never seemed to bother you before now.”

Aaron sighed and rolled his head back on the chair. “Look. I don’t care if you are gay, obviously. You told me you were gay forever ago.”

“Then what is the problem Aaron?”

Aaron was quiet for so long that Andrew didn’t think he was going to answer him, but finally, finally, he sat up a little straighter, scrubbed his hands over his face, and when he dropped his hands the look on his face was one Andrew had never seen before. 

“Why did it have to be Neil?” Aaron asked very slowly.

Andrew furrowed his brow. “What?”

“Why Neil? Like, why not Jeremy or - I don’t know, Kevin’s good looking isn’t he? Or Jean? Why did it have to be Neil?”

“Um, Jeremy is my friend and he is _Jeremy_ , and besides, he’s taking Kevin - and do you not know that Renee is going with Jean? And - wait. Wait, Aaron none of that matters. Did you - do you not _know?_ ” Aaron was gaping at Andrew, and okay fair, that was a lot of words for Andrew in a row. “Aaron, it’s always been Neil for me. Always. I thought - I thought you knew that.”

Aaron was shaking his head slowly. “What do you mean always? We were all just - we were all just best friends, and you had to go and ruin it,” he bit out.

Andrew stared at him, stunned, and more than a little confused. “Aaron. Tell me exactly what you are mad about,” he demanded carefully. 

Aaron pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, tucking his face between his elbows, so his words were muffled when he responded and Andrew couldn’t hear them but it sounded a lot like-

“I’m scared,” Aaron said again, pulling his face out of his robes and looking right at Andrew, because when it came down to it, the Potter-Nott twins were not cowards. 

“Of what?” Andrew asked softly.

“I’m scared of losing my brother and my best friend in one fell swoop, and I’m mad at you for not telling me first, and I’m mad at myself for not realizing - because now it’s all I can see. You’re in love with him aren’t you?”

Andrew hesitated. He didn’t do well with that word, but it was true wasn’t it? “Yes,” he said. 

“For how long? When did you know?” Aaron asked, and his face was curious and it was the friendliest look he had shown him in a month, and _god_ Andrew had missed his brother. 

“For always. Probably from the moment he gave me King,” Andrew admitted. 

Aaron’s eyes grew wide. “But. That was our first day at Hogwarts.”

Andrew just nodded. 

“Huh,” Aaron said, nonplussed.

“Nothing is going to change Aaron. I do not want anything to change.”

Aaron smirked at him, “Oh, nothing is it?”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “Fine, maybe some small things. But you are my brother and Neil loves you - he’s been your best friend since forever and nothing about that is going to change.”

Aaron nodded. “I wish you had talked to me first.”

Andrew wasn’t any better with the word _sorry_ than he was with the word _love,_ but he did the best he could. “I should have talked to you first,” he said. Aaron knew him, he would hear the apology in it.

Aaron smiled tentatively at him then. “I’m sorry too,” he said. 

The corner of Andrew’s mouth crept up. “So. Have you asked Katelyn yet?”

Aaron’s ears turned red. “No.”

“Well, let’s see what we can do about that, hm?” Andrew said, hopping off the desk. “The two of you are almost as obvious as me and Neil.”

Aaron frowned. “We are?”

“Yeah to everyone who is not you or Katelyn,” Andrew smirked. 

“Arse,” Aaron muttered, but he tugged once on Andrew’s sleeve, and Andrew didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around his twin and give him a brief squeeze. Aaron liked hugs, and even if Andrew still didn’t, he didn’t completely hate them either - at least when it was someone he loved. 

“We good?” Andrew asked him after he let go. 

“Yeah, we’re good.” Aaron nodded. He pulled the door open and he and Andrew both froze. Their dads were propped up against the wall across from the office, Harry’s fingers tangled in the front of Theo’s robe, Theo’s hand tucked into Harry’s cheek, and they were kissing. 

“Seriously?” Aaron moaned, and Harry and Theo broke the kiss to blink innocently at their sons.

“That doesn’t look like tea,” Andrew smirked. 

“Or a walk around the grounds,” Aaron agreed. 

Theo’s grin was calculating, which did not bode well for what was about to come out of his mouth. Andrew started tugging on the sleeve of Aaron’s robe just as Theo said, “Well this is as good a time as any to tell you that when two people love each other very much, and they have reached their wizarding age of majority, they enjoy things like sticking their tongues in each others-”

“THEO!” Harry interrupted.

“-mouths!” Theo finished undeterred. Andrew was dragging Aaron around the corner when he heard a muttered “I mean really, what did you _think_ I was going to say Harry?”

  
***

“Oh, thank _Merlin!”_ Jeremy said, flopping back on the giant beanbag he shared with Renee when he saw Andrew and Aaron walking up together. “Does this mean we can all be friends again?” 

Andrew snorted “Yes, cheeky,” he said affectionately, and plopped down between him and Renee, who was smiling serenely at him. 

Andrew pulled King off of his shoulders and settled him in his lap as Aaron wandered over to where Kevin and Jean were flipping their wands about a jug of water. Since they couldn’t meet in each other’s House common rooms, they had commandeered this abandoned corner of a dead end hallway to create the Monster’s Den, and over the last few years it had evolved into quite a cozy nook with rugs and couches and beanbags. 

“I think they’ve just about got it,” Renee murmured, and Andrew looked over just in time to see the water leap out of the jug and coalesce into a puffy cloud over their heads, and then, and _then_ it was snowing - swirling, glittering, tiny snowflakes floating down around them. King reached up to bat at one, but just as he did it disappeared. Renee laughed delightedly. “The snow shoots back into the jug just before landing,” she said. “Jean has been working on it for ages. See?” She nodded at the jug, which was slowly filling with water. 

“Just a bunch of Monsters in a snow globe,” Jeremy said wonderingly, just as Katelyn and Neil walked up, dropping their books on one of the low tables. Sir wove between Neil’s legs as he walked, crouching down to leap on King, and then the two cats were rolling around merrily under the magical snowflakes. 

Neil grinned up at the cloud, holding a hand out to wave it in the whirling snow, and then looked between Andrew and Aaron - the two hadn’t been in the Den at the same time for a month. “All sorted then?” he said, leaning down to rest his fingers gently on Andrew’s shoulder. Andrew looked up, and Neil smiled at what he saw in Andrew’s eyes. “Good,” Neil nodded, “I’ve missed you. Both of you,” he said as he squeezed Andrew’s shoulder. Neil had resolutely refused to choose sides, and though he hadn’t been ignoring Andrew and Aaron _per se,_ he had been noticeably absent from Andrew’s life. Andrew reached up carefully and rested his hand on top of Neil’s.

“Oh my god, is he finally..?” Jeremy whispered next to him, and they all looked up to see Aaron leading Katelyn down the hallway, the tips of his ears turning pinker with every step. 

“You really did sort it, didn’t you?” Neil said quietly, before squeezing Andrew’s shoulder one last time and hopping over to whisper in Jean’s ear. Jean grinned and nodded, and then furrowed his brow, pointed his wand, muttered some words, and their snow cloud started drifting down the hallway after Aaron and Katelyn. 

The Monsters all scrambled quietly after it - well, quietly after Neil elbowed Kevin in the ribs to shut him up - and peeked around the corner just in time to see Katelyn smile widely and pull Aaron in for a brief kiss, the snow flitting softly around them. Katelyn stepped back, blushing furiously, and then spun on her heels and ran down the hallway. 

Aaron appeared to be frozen to the spot, but Neil whooped and Aaron startled, turning to face them with his mouth agape. Neil skipped over and wrapped Aaron in a hug. “I take it that was a yes?” 

Aaron nodded dumbly, and Neil spun him around gayly, laughing, and the cloud had expanded to fill the hall, snow dancing and swirling around them before disappearing in little twinkles above the floor. Someone produced an iPod and charmed it to amplify, and the next they knew notes of a Tchaikovsky waltz were echoing around the hall and everyone was dancing in the snow.

They had all been forced into cotillion lessons in preparation for the ball - Professor Winfield in particular was adamant that her Hufflepuffs not embarrass their house at the Yule ball - but Andrew had in general put very little effort into it. But now, Andrew noted with a bit of concern that Neil appeared to be quite the accomplished dancer, adeptly twirling a rather stiff Aaron through the waltz, and he fervently wished he hadn’t turned down Jeremy every time he’d wanted to practice. 

Jeremy was spinning Kevin around confidently as the music swelled around them, so clearly he had found someone to practice with. Renee was floating in Jean’s arms as they twirled - quite literally, actually, as she had cast a levitation charm (Jean was much taller than Renee and this was practicality more than anything else). Andrew watched his friends dancing in the snow and he smiled his small little smile as Aaron and Neil skidded to a stop next to him. 

“Oh my god I have to sit down,” Aaron huffed out, but instead of sitting down he hurried down the hallway in the direction Katelyn had fled. 

“Maybe he’s going for a second kiss,” Neil smirked, and then held a hand out to Andrew. “Dance with me?” 

“I’m not very good,” Andrew said reluctantly. 

“Hmm,” Neil mused. “Probably shouldn’t have asked me to the Yule ball then, huh?” With that he grabbed Andrew’s hand and placed it on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll lead,” he promised, and then they were spinning in the snow, Neil’s hand was on his waist, and somehow Andrew wasn’t tripping over his own feet. 

Andrew had eyes only for Neil, for his smile, for his touch, and maybe that was why he didn’t notice when they had somehow spun out of the snow, away from the others; that they had slowly stopped spinning and were now alone, standing close, Neil’s hand still on his waist, intent blue eyes staring into Andrew’s hazel. 

“I’m wondering if you are feeling left out,” Neil murmured. 

“What do you mean?” Andrew asked. Neil’s tie was crooked - probably from all the spinning - and it was distracting.

"Well, Aaron got a kiss for an answer. I just gave you a yes. So, are you feeling left out Andrew?” 

_Oh._ Andrew stared at him. “Do you want to kiss me?” He didn’t recognize his own voice, and he could feel his ears turning pink.

“Obviously,” Neil rolled his eyes. A few snowflakes started to drift past his face and Neil smiled and looked up. The cloud had drifted over to them, but they were still alone in this corner of the hallway and Andrew was hyper aware of how close Neil’s face was to his and how long his eyelashes were. “I’d thought maybe you’d kiss me at the ball,” he said. “You know, romance and whatnot.” The snowflakes were swirling in earnest around them now. “But this is nice too,” Neil breathed. 

Andrew did not have to be asked twice to do what he’d wanted for months - for longer. He slid his hand up from Neil’s shoulder to behind his ear, tucking into the unruly curls. “Okay?” Andrew whispered. 

“Yes,” Neil said, and he was smiling as Andrew pulled him down into a kiss. 

It was awkward and warm and sweet, Neil’s lips dry and soft against his. Andrew was terrified and thrilled, his heart thumping in his chest and soaring above him all at once, and Neil gasped a little when he pulled back, and Andrew couldn’t help but chase that gasp back into his mouth. This time Neil’s lips were parted, and Andrew licked his bottom lip without thinking. Neil melted into him and this kiss was different - insistent and overwhelming and perfectly imperfect.

Andrew finally pulled away, subtly trying to catch his breath and calm his heartbeat, and Neil sighed, blinking at him. “Why haven’t we done that before?”

“I have absolutely no idea,” Andrew huffed a laugh, and they pressed their foreheads together, going cross eyed looking at each other this close, but unwilling to look away. Not for the first time Andrew wondered at how this was his life - with two dads and a brother and best friends; with King and magic and quidditch; with a blue-eyed, auburn-haired menace that he got to kiss in the snow. 

“Andrew,” Neil mumbled against his lips. 

“Hmmm?” Andrew hummed. 

“Do it again.”

“The kissing?”

“The kissing.”

He kissed Neil again, and then again. Each time was better than the last, and Andrew thought that he much preferred practicing kissing than dancing. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> hit me up on tumblr @ [justadreamfox](https://justadreamfox.tumblr.com/)


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